how do you get by on the cheap?

[hulk]

while I was casting for crappies from shore this weekend into the fallen trees, man you had to get it right in there, I was quite glad I had them little cheap round red/white bobbers and not a buck and quarter slip bobber, I lost 4 of them but got my limit, I was wondering what other people do to cut their costs when fishing.

when I was a kid fishing the Mississippi and finding all the snags, I remember we would use lug nuts for bottom fishing,

and I buy all my lures in the discount bin, and paint them whatever I wanted, it was alot easier to lose a 2 dollar lure instead of 6 buck one, when I got a litte older, I starting making my own jigs by the hundred, though thats gone up a litte bit and you can almost buy them just as cheap as make them, and my really cheapist idea, if can get some of those little soft ear protectors, the foam ones that you twist and stick in you ears

I use to take a razor blade and cut however you want, thread them on your line, they definately keep your bait off the bottom, any other cheapskates, oops! I mean frugal folks out

there?

J.

[shizzy]

I use corn instead of waxies. A 69 cent can lasts for weeks....

[MN Angler]

I make my own live bait spinner rigs/lindy rigs which saves some money. Always take a look through the discount bin ya never know what is hiding in the bottom. some good ideas hulk.

[Nick Kuhn]

I never use live bait. Every lure I've purchased this year has put at least 1 fish in the boat (maybe I should pick up another muskie bait...), and the only casualty in my tackle box this year was a $4 spinner that fell victim to a bad snap swivel on a leader.

[slipperybob]

I use a twig for a bobber and a rock for a sinker...call it the natural presentation.

[Sandmannd]

I tie my own snells and even color my own hooks. But that's about the extent of it.

[Jim Uran]

I made my own boat out of an old tree I found tipped over in the woods. j/k. I tie my own snells, make my own spinners, and stuff like that.

[HuskerBen]

I catch my own crawlers, use those to catch suckers, use those suckers to catch catfish. For flats, I catch my own bullies. I often scrounge for bait while fishing, too... frogs, mulberries, grasshoppers, etc. all make decent bait at the right times.

Another thing that a lot of guys don't think about: buy good, quality equipment up front. A good rod and reel might set you back more at first, but it's cheaper than buying a new cheapo setup every time the old one breaks.

You can get some good deals on equipment from [YouNeedAuthorization], the FM classifieds, yard sales, etc. I get a lot of my stuff used.

[prov1900]

The net has some good deals on it, bottom line, especially that place that starts with an "E"

[ricerdude69]

I save spinners, floaters, beads and what not from rigs that break on me and make my own, so I guess I recycle lol.

[Northlander]

Im a "Tackle whore" as Stfcatfish called me the other day. I dont buy anything thats not on sale or I cant get discounted some how. Heck today I found a small shop that had all its summer fishing gear 50% off! Those are the type deals I search for. I got a $1400 Humminbird graph for $425 this summer when Gander ran a 1 day 50% all orange tagged electronics sale.

You have to shop like a women in a shoe store.

No offense ladies I know its just smart shopping.

I also tie my own spinners and of course lindi rigs as well as buy jigs etc. from local friends who make their own. Saves me $ and they make $. I like keeping my $ local. One thing I found is the for sale adds here on FM can have some killer deals. Im betting with winter coming the ice fishing stuff will be coming out real soon.

[evinrude19]

i tie my own snells and lindys and sometimes sell them to friends haha

[hitthebricks]

I've made my own jigs and flys for 40 years now, make my own snells cause the of line weight, length and price. I also shop garage sales for rods amd stuff, last week I found a Shimano Sidestabe for $10, a 7.5 ft. Shimano HMG Flippin stick for $10, a 7 ft. Shimano HMG AV for $15, and the best was a 7 ft. St. Croix Legend Elite for $25. That was almost as much fun as fishing. I also pick crawlers in the spring for the whole year and catch minnows in small near by lakes. All these savings enable me to put gas in the boat when I would like to go, now I just need gas for the truck.

:_) HTB

[Steve Foss]

N'lander, you know I meant that in the best possible way!

I also grew up fishing rivers with lug nuts for sinkers (and spent spark plugs for slip sinkers with the gap pushed together). If you're fishing a bottom rig, they still are the cheapest way to go if you have a free supply.

You know, the cheap/free stuff that caught fish in 1969 catches fish just as well today, by and large. There's no substitute for being in the right place at the right time, and that's much more a matter of knowledge than of $ and tackle. When we were kids fishing the northern MN lakes on vacation at resorts, we'd plunk down the anchor on the deep weed edge, drop a hook with a crawler and a couple split shot over the side and pull up fish after fish with our fiberglass rods, Johnson Century spincast reels and bright blue 10 lb mono.

Quite a few times we'd come home with more walleyes than the dads, uncles and grandpas with their highfalutin new electronics, electric trolling motors, subscriptions to Fishing Facts Magazine and the newfangled Lindy rigs. And we'd also have a mess of eater-sized sunnies and perch to boot, which the sunburned and worn out pioneers of the brave new electronic fishing world never had on their stringers.

We used to watch one ancient codger on Lake George row his boat out to the weedline, drop a hook/sinker over the side with a spool of cheap KMart line in one hand and his other hand on the line, and handline all kinds of fish in. He outfished everyone . . . wait for it . . . hook, line and sinker.

I'm as much in love with my boat/snowmobile/gear as anyone, but knowledge of the quarry and its habits is a LOT more important than having the latest gizmos. Always has been, always will be.

[smeese]

I boost the economy and spend the extra time fishing......I just buy it all premade.

[Down Deep]

I search the on sale bins in the bait shops I visit. I visit Cabelas a couple times a year and head for the bargain cave. Last January Cabelas had a 25 cent sale on terminal tackle, jigs, bobbers, all kinds of crank baits, line and other small fishing equipment. For about $50 I got a lifetime supply of stuff for me as well as several year supply of birthday and Christmas gifts for my fishing buddies. I've been buying from the used market for more expensive items like fish finders, ice gear, snowmobiles, etc. I also made a commitment to use what I already own which has been a major savings for the last couple of years.

[shorefisher]

My big saving idea this year was using my small boat with a 7hp vs big boat with 75hp. Saved a ton in gas and caught just as many fish just took a little long to get from spot to spot. The other thing I am doing is trying to use the 30 years worth of tackle I have and not buy more (very hard to not buy the new hot lure or great priced reel). Going to do the same for this ice season and try not to buy a big bag of jigs when I have enough to most likly get me through 2 more seasons.

[Down Deep]

Going to do the same for this ice season and try not to buy a big bag of jigs when I have enough to most likly get me through 2 more seasons.

Those ice fishing jigs pile up. Yesterday, I was going through my ice fishing gear and would estimate that I've got 500 to 600 different jigs in every size, color and configuation of colors in the rainbow. I could use each jig for 15 minutes and it would take me 20 seasons to get all of them on. Total them up at 25 cents to a dollar and there is big money in those little boxes. Then there is the trout jigs @ $3 to $4 apiece. WOW! You're right about those trips into the bait shop. I buy a scoop of minnows for $3 and end up with $5 more worth of jigs in one of those little plastic bags which I either put on the dash of the truck or my pocket and then forget about.

[JRedig]

My boat is actually my dad's boat and I store it and can use it anytime I want, he never fishes!

[UdeLakeTom]

I watch the paths, landings and brush/trees around the lake. There are lots of goodies that other lose or leave hanging.

[Northlander]

Steve its all good in the hood. I know ya had a bit of tackle envy.

[chickeywing]

No one else picked up on this: Get your buddy to take you. Burn his gas.

I do spend more time running the trolling motor and fish lakes much closer to home.

The gas prices have kept me from upgrading the boat. 25 horse works fine.

[Coach1310]

I have scavenged the popular spring shoreline spots and collected a bunch of jigs, bobbers, sinkers etc. Even if they aren't great, better to get them out of the lake then having the shoreline look like a trash heap.

I tie my own rigs and use stuff until I can't get it to work anymore. I have an issue with the Thill slip bobbers, where after a while the line cuts a small groove in the top of the bobber, so the line gets caught and won't slip. I just take a sharp utility knife and shave the top of the bobber until the groove is gone. I guess you can say I "repair" some of my tackle to make it last longer.

Fish closer to home...don't be afraid to buy some tackle, especially terminal stuff like hooks, jigheads, bobbers, line etc from Walmart and other non-sporting good stores. Always check the clearance bins and buys stuff out of season. Right now you should look for Open water tackle and in spring buy your ice fishing tackle... oh yeah, pawn shops and garage sales are good too.

[Chad Halvorson]

No one else picked up on this: Get your buddy to take you. Burn his gas.

I do spend more time running the trolling motor and fish lakes much closer to home.

The gas prices have kept me from upgrading the boat. 25 horse works fine.

So you dont chip in? Also I tie my own snells, but I dont think that saves me any money. I have alot of blades/beads/hooks, etc to make up until I break even! Very addicting hobby.

[Jesse Drummer]

I watch the paths, landings and brush/trees around the lake. There are lots of goodies that other lose or leave hanging.

team otter, owes me a new lipless crank on one of his cranking trees for spring walleyes!